


The Tightrope

by Strangerthingsprobably



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Darkness, F/M, Gen, Loneliness, Mileven, The Upside Down, but like sad mileven, in possible later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-12 11:40:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10490118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strangerthingsprobably/pseuds/Strangerthingsprobably
Summary: After defeating The Demogorgon, Eleven wakes up in an eerily familiar dimension.





	1. Chapter 1

Eleven’s eyes shot open, but other than that she was unable to move. There was a violent pounding in her head and all she wanted to do was curl into a ball and wait for it to dissipate, but she was paralyzed.

With heaving breaths she attempted to take in her surroundings, but the only thing she could sense in the blackness was the hard ground beneath her, slick with cold water that numbed her fingertips and a stench similar to that of rotting flesh lying stagnant in the air. It seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

She shuddered, suddenly realizing where she was; The In-Between.

But how? She thought to herself. The last thing she remembers is Mike leaning against the science room cabinets, hot tears streaming down his cheeks before she said goodbye and turned back to The Demogorgon. The look of complete anguish and hurt in her friend’s eyes would be sure to haunt her, but she knew it was for the best. To keep them safe. Unfortunately, her fragmented memories couldn’t explain anything that happened after that.

She wanted nothing more than to call out for him, but her throat was raw from screaming and subconsciously she knew it wouldn’t matter. He couldn’t hear her. He was the acrobat and she was the flea, stuck in the threads of the tightrope.

She wondered how long she had been trapped here like this. The blood that had flowed from her nose and ears from using her powers had crusted over. Caked onto her skin in an unforgiving manor. There was no concept of time in this realm and she had returned Mike’s watch to him before getting into the bath earlier that day. Was it still that day?

She tried once again to sit up, hoping her inability to do so earlier was just a trick The In-Between was playing on her, but it wasn’t. She couldn’t even move her fingers. The only things that seemed to be free were her eyes and mouth. So she tried once more to observe her surroundings the best she could in a place that had no light or shadows. A place that just was.

Fortunately, despite it’s scent seeming to linger somewhere in the air, there was no sight of the monster she had seemed to defeat. This realization led to a loosening in her muscles, hoping that it was gone for good. Her friends would finally be safe from the monster she had unleashed. They would be safe from her.

But then she felt it…. an ache in her gut as if all the misery she had felt in her life was suddenly living inside her stomach. She wanted to double over and vomit. Anything to get the feeling out. But all she could do was lie there and choke back the cries that caught in her throat as she thought about what she sacrificed herself for, realizing she may never see the boys or Hawkins ever again.

Still too exhausted to even consider using her powers to help her up, she let a single, solitary tear slide down her cheek before slipping into unconsciousness.


	2. In Hawkins

In Hawkins, an entire week had passed since The Demogorgon’s defeat and subsequent disappearance of the town telekinetic. Locals were abuzz with news about "The Boy Who Came Back to Life," but they didn't know the truth. No one but those directly involved with the incident really knew why the schools were shut down that week. To the general populace, the "water pipes” that had burst in the middle and high schools over the weekend coinciding with the return of the Byers' boy were completely coincidental.  


Will was out of the hospital, but confined to bed rest for another week. Lucas relished in the time off school, but not for the reasons his parents thought. Truth be told, he didn't think he could face being in that classroom again. Not yet at least. Despite their rough start, he admired the sacrifice their super-powered friend made for them and Will.  


Dustin was ecstatic when they had been told of Will’s return, but missed the strange girl whom he deemed a real-life super hero. The first few days following the incident, he ate his feelings away through Smarties, Pringles, and all sorts of other snacks.  


Gradually, he and Lucas started to discuss the topic of her sacrifice in private. This included concerns over her safety and frequent debates on whether or not she was alive. They kept to channel five of their super-comms to talk about it so that Will wouldn’t have to relive his week in Hell and Mike…  


Well, Mike had taken it the worst. Of course, he was grateful to have his childhood friend back. The kind-hearted and honest boy was essential to their party, but what about the girl who had helped find that boy? What about Eleven?  


Mike had spent every free moment he had down in her reconstructed blanket fort, even falling asleep in it most nights, silent tears staining what used to be her pillow. His heart ached for the girl. Sure, they had only known about one another’s existence for a week, but the events of that week would last a lifetime.  


To put it simply, Mike cared for her in ways the other boys didn't. While at first they assumed Mike only liked El because she was the first female to not completely reject him, they soon realized there was more to it than that. However, they didn’t know to what extent. They figured it was just a dumb middle school crush, but Mike knew better. The gang just didn’t understand and who could blame them?  


It was his basement she stayed it. He was the one who offered her clothes and he taught her what a friend was. He built her a fort to stay in where they would talk about all sorts of things until the wee hours of the morning. Then, after he made sure El was tucked in and comfortable, he would creep back up the stairs to his bedroom, hoping the shadows of the basement hid the blush that crept up his neck after she said goodnight  


The boys would tease him relentlessly if they knew about the bond he and El shared so he kept it a secret from them, or at least tried. Thus, he mourned in silence, never using the radio to speak to his pals like he used to and keeping to himself in the basement.  


He knew it was silly, but the fort was the only physical thing he had left of her and if she could sense where Will was hiding in The Upside Down, maybe she could sense him there, in her spot. Maybe the blanket fort was a safe-haven for her in the other dimension like it was when she was in Hawkins.  


Mike always had his super-comm with him when he stayed in the basement, blindly holding on to hope that she was okay. The possibility of her being dead wasn't even an option he entertained.  


The radio was always dialed to channel six and he sometimes he would talk to her. He didn’t know whether she could hear him or not, but it provided him a small sense of comfort.  


He would curl up in the mass of yellow blankets late after the rest of the house was asleep and just talk. He spared no detail about how Will was doing and how much he missed her. He shared interesting facts he thought she might want to know and even told stories before bed sometimes like he did before she was gone. He knew he must sound crazy, but took solace in the idea that if El could hear him, maybe she felt a sense of comfort too.  


Unbeknownst to Mike, who figured his friends were always asleep when he performed these rituals, the Lucas and Dustin heard every word he uttered. Under normal circumstances, they would, of course, berate him to no end, but these weren’t normal circumstances. Consequently, Sad Mike also became a topic of conversation on channel five.


	3. The Tightrope and it's Tricks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the angstiest thing I've ever written so please read at your own risk. There's nothing bad! It's just terribly heart breaking, at least in my opinion.

When Eleven woke up once again, she was shivering, knees clutched to her chest. With sudden realization of what this meant, she sat up slowly, fearing something might pull her back down like before, but nothing did.

She didn't understand how or why The In-Between behaved this way, allowing her some freedoms but only on it's own terms. But she was grateful for the movement. Her bones ached from being stuck in one position for so long.

The pounding in her head had subsided which she was also thankful for, but she still felt weak and unrested. The In-Between had a way of sapping the life force from it’s inhabitants.

She was soaked to her core and freezing. Hopper's oversized flannel clung to her tiny frame that made her feel like she may never be dry again. When she tried to scratch the old blood off her pale face, she felt a sticky substance overtop.

Despite being enveloped in nothingness with no inkling of light to be found, Eleven could see her own body very clearly. The tips of the fingers she held out in front of her were stained crimson. Had she used her powers in her sleep? Either that or someone–- something–- had caused her to move. She shuddered at the thought.

El had no recollection of ever using her powers in her sleep. Then again, she could do a lot things that were unable to be explained. Maybe this was one of them.

It had to be the only logical explanation, the former being too terrifying to even consider.

She took her time standing, afraid that lying down for so long would throw her off balance. When she was upright, she realized just how sore she really was. Her knees cracked with every step she took and it seemed as though no matter how far she stretched her limbs, they would never feel at peace again.

She wasn’t sure what day it was, nor could she recognize whether it was day or night. Not knowing where she was going, she simply walked until her feet got tired, trying to catch a glimpse of anything in the darkness. Loneliness weighed down on her shoulders so much that even The Demogorgon would be a friendly face here.

Time and time again she considered using her powers to help guide her in the shadows to try and get a sense of where she was, but she knew any attempt at getting out was futile without some sort of sensory deprivation for her on the other side.

After what was probably only a few hours, Eleven found her eyelids drooping. She knew she hadn’t been awake for long, yet there was a weariness radiating throughout her with every step she took. However, the idea of falling asleep willingly instead of violently passing out was a warm thought in this cold world.

She sighed and looked to the ground. Her reflection rippled in the water and she frowned upon noticing the smudges of grime and blood that decorated her face. She knelt down, not caring that the hem of her dress got wet because she was still mildly damp from earlier, and dipped her palms in the shallow water. It felt refreshing against the scrapes on her hands she didn’t know she had. Then, she brought the water up to her face, doing her best to clean her ears and nostrils.

That’s when she heard it; _“El,”_ Mike’s voice emerged out of nowhere. At first, she was startled, immediately frozen in place. After what felt like an eternity on her own, the sound of another person was unexpected. It echoed in such a way she couldn’t recognize whether it was in her own head or elsewhere, making her nervous. _“It’s me again,”_ the disembodied voice said. It reverberated off of nothing and sounded like it was coming from everywhere.

Eleven shut her eyes tight and took the deepest breath she could muster before letting it out slowly. Eyes still closed, she focused on following the vibrations she felt in the air and slowly, one by one, let her feet guide her toward their source.

 _“I just wanted to tell you that I miss you… again. School should be back in next week or something so I won’t be able to talk to you as much. I’m really sorry. Also, Will is finally off bed rest tomorrow and I’m pretty sure the guys are coming over, but I’m not sure what we’re going to do. I haven’t written a decent campaign since that night at the school. I just wanted to let you know in case I can’t say goodnight or something while they’re here. I mean, I’ll still try, of course, if you want…”_ Empty static filled the air as he waited for a reply he knew would not come and sighed.

 _“El, I’m not giving up on you. We’re not giving up on you. When you feel strong enough, we know you’ll come back to us, somehow and we’ll find you. Just like you helped us find Will. He’s really excited to meet you too. I think you guys will hit it off.”_ Mike paused, realizing he was rambling now and tried to focus on the point he wanted to make tonight.

 _“I left some compasses and toys out for you too in case you can play with them or something in …”_ he choked on his sentence, swallowing the idea of Eleven being trapped in The Upside-Down. _“In wherever you are,”_ he finished.

Mike shook out his hands trying to regain his composure, not wanting El to hear his voice crack if tears started to fall, if she could hear him at all.

It pained El to hear Mike so sad again. She remembered the feeling of guilt that encompassed her entire being the night the cops pulled Will’s “body” from the quarry and that same feeling of guilt warped her stomach into knots once again. But she couldn’t figure out why. She had defeated The Demogorgon to save her friends, so why did she feel so terrible about leaving them behind? _Friend._ She thought to herself. _Someone you would do anything for._ Mike’s words resonated with her as she followed the sound of his voice in the air.

He spoke again, a somber tone overtaking his voice. _“I know our talk was kind of short tonight, but I really wanted to at least get a campaign started that way the guys don’t murder me for not trying. I’ll probably go to bed now and then wake up early to get started so maybe I’ll talk to you after breakfast or something.”_ He paused one more time, remembering the first night they found her. _“Night, El,”_ he smiled weakly.

Eleven frowned and opened her eyes, wishing he had not stopped talking. But she could sense him near her. She wiped her nose, assuming there would be blood, but when she observed her sleeve, it only showed the faded crimson from earlier. Maybe her strength was returning or maybe it was simply easier to concentrate on finding Mike than it was finding a stranger.

Regardless, she decided to persevere. She still felt the radio static surrounding her, meaning Mike hadn’t turned off his super-comm. She shut her eyes, furrowing her brow, doing her best to conjure up an image of the basement.

El recalled the first night the boys brought her home, the same night she got her name. They were all sopping wet and she was shaking, her nose and fingers numb, similar to how she felt when she woke up today, but at least Mike’s jacket had helped that night. She thought about the clothes he gave her. They were soft and clean and smelled like him, a scent she didn’t know she would soon associate with the idea of comfort.

Every happy scene, scent, and memory from her first few nights in what became her safe haven came rushing back to her all at once. It made the connection stronger. She remembered Mike’s instant kindness and how the basement smelled like pizza that night. How he plugged in a nightlight for her because she was afraid of the dark. When he brought her Eggo's in the morning. She smiled at the warm thoughts, despite her nostrils beginning to clog.

Just as her nose started to drip, she opened her eyes.

There he was just a few feet way. Messy-haired and freckle-faced, super-comm in hand, Mike Wheeler lay in the mess of yellow blankets she used to call home. Unsure if this was real thing she conjured up or kist another trick, she was hesitant to believe it until she felt the radio waves humming in the air.

Happiness welled inside her chest like a balloon, but she didn’t dare try to contact him, fearing that if she did, he would dissipate into nothingness just like everything else in this godforsaken place and she would be left alone yet again.

Instead, she crept over to him silently, as if he would wake up at any moment, and lied down next to him. This close, she could see the tears that had dried on his cheeks, not bothering to wipe them away before he fell asleep.

The now all-too-familiar pain in her chest returned as she tried to wipe the salt off him, mimicking Mike’s gentle motions she remembered in the basement bathroom. But it didn’t matter. The tears were still there and she could do nothing to wipe them away because even though her hand laid across his cheek, her thumb rubbing moving in tiny circles just under his eye, she-felt nothing.

A tear of her own slid down her cheek as she curled into herself, hoping the close proximity of mirage Mike might provide her with a false sense of warmth and comfort. El concentrated with all her might to keep the image with her, to try and remember what the soft, lemon-scented fabric felt like enveloped around her.

Everything she felt was amplified in his presence. The cold hands of isolation suddenly tightened their grip around her throat. The salt of her tears were more potent than before. The ache in her chest turned into a pain that made her physically gasp for breath.

Suddenly, it became all too much. She remembered his mocking expression when she tried to apologize at the quarry, when the only word that came out was his name in a whisper. The look of utter betrayal that same night and how that same look crossed his face when she accidentally hurt Lucas. The image burned into the back of her eyelids.

 _What is wrong with you?_ Mike had screamed at her then. That's when she realized why Mike had been crying himself to sleep. The words felt like punches being thrown directly to her temples. _You hurt me. What you did, sucks. Understand?_ His words played on repeat in her head and spit at her like venom.

She understood.

All she wanted to do was save the people she had come to love, to save the boys who saved her. Her friends. She hadn’t meant to cause more pain. She hurt Mike. She hurt him and broke her promise. They wouldn’t go to The Snow Ball together, she would never get to try pudding, never have a bed of her own, never meet Will… and Mike would never forgive her.

Despite El’s head beating protests into her, nose and ears dripping blood, she simply wasn’t ready to let go of him. Not again. Not yet. She tried so hard to remember the feeling of her hands around his waist, her head on his shoulder, his lips on hers, but everything was running together.

The last thing she remembers before succumbing to unconsciousness was the feeling of bile rising in her stomach and the taste of copper between her teeth.

**Author's Note:**

> So I know this is just a one-shot, but would you guys be interested in reading more of this? I have some ideas on the direction I could to take this story but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to or if I should. Shoot me comments or suggestions if you want!


End file.
